Puppy Pickup

It was a bit touch and go finding out the due date for when I would get my pup. We finally determined that it would happen on Saturday. Brittany and I had been planning to take Purvasha to Surly for her first time. Surly was spacious and dog friendly. We considered picking him up before we went, and then hanging out outside the brewery. However, the pickup time ended up working out after our reservation. Once that was scheduled, Britt took me shopping at PetSmart.

I was completely overwhelmed. Let’s just say after an intense work week I’ve used up the majority of my decision making and thinking capabilities. I would have read each food package in a zombie-like state trying to compare prices and health values had it not been for my sister. She strolled me to the back of the store and we grabbed a Top Paw two-door crate. I held off on the pad for the moment—she had a point, I could always come back.

Then we moved along the aisle and threw in a dog bed. She lifted a bag of Royal Canin into the cart and we moseyed on down to treats and toys. I got my new puppy this adorable gorilla, and she bought him a red dragon as a gift—note, that one lasted longer than any of the others. Luckily, mom had left us with a leash that I could use at the time. Last but not least, he would need a collar. I went with a medium blue Kong collar that would look great on him and with the rest of my house.

We took off for Surly with the collar, leash, and treats in the backseat. I told Brittany and Purvasha that I wanted to change Bruno’s name to Diego. They were a bit surprised that I would change a 4-year-old dog’s name, but embraced it. Why Diego? Simple. It’s just a name that I always liked. I pictured it for if I ever got something similar to a German Shepard puppy. This guy seemed a bit like a miniature one with his short floppy ears and curly tail. I would see how well he responded to his name from the rescue before officially deciding.

That day might have been the last time I got to eat Surly’s Who’s Your Daddy pizza before they closed the restaurant in 2020. RIP Surly. Please come back! See I had all these dreams for adventures that I would go on with my dog. He would play with Brittany’s puppy, Benny, and they would get to wear each other out. We could watch them play in the dog park together while we drink coffee. He would wrap his leash around a cute guy when we went on a walk, and naturally we would hit it off (haha, right). I would take him with to the brewery and let him say hi to people and other dogs on the street. Maybe next time he would get to come with us.

We pulled up to the foster’s apartment and there he was! My Diego. She passed over a toy that had traveled with him along with some papers, and put the leash on his orange harness that he was wearing. Brittany and Purvasha said hi to him as he sat calmly at our feet. The foster handed his leash to me, but as we began walking towards the car he stayed put. He already had bonded with her in four days and seemed reluctant to leave. I’m grateful that she quickly offered to walk him to the car, and as soon as she opened the door he jumped right in and smiled. Diego was coming home!

What I wish I knew then

Spoiler alert: Diego and I haven’t gone on all the adventures I dreamed up for us. I want to share this information early, rather than waiting for those parts of our story to come up.

If you’re getting a new rescue dog, please think twice before taking it to a dog park, brewery, or a situation surrounded by lots of people and other dogs in the first month. Your pet has likely had a very stressful journey full of changes in the last few weeks. It obviously varies based on the rescue, but for all you know your dog has been shoved in and out of vehicles and overstimulated with several other barking or stressed out dogs. It could have been pinned down at the vet for shots. It’s been living shortly with a foster and now being taken away again to a new place.

It could be anxious or scared, and those signs don’t always show right when you meet them. It’s often suppressed because they have been through so much. You need to give it at least a few weeks to decompress. The truth is, you don’t know your new dog yet. You don’t know its personality, or if it has triggers.

Some rescue pets are playful and will be perfectly fine with other dogs, but then again, I thought based off of word of mouth that mine would be too. If I would have brought him to a dog park that first week, I know now that Diego’s hair would have raised and he would have lost his mind barking. If a dog started running towards him to play, he likely would have bitten it. Who wants to deal with that kind of conflict with a stranger, or see someone’s pet get hurt?

I say those things not to diminish the care that so many people try to give to bring rescues to a home or to scare you out of adopting, but just to emphasize that there is a lot that could have taken place that we don’t understand. We see a profile online that says:

Dash needs a home. He loves walks and treats and may like to go to a quieter house…etc.

Quieter house? That dog might have some anxiety or reactivity issues. They’re trying to get dogs to homes, not tell you every flaw or problem they could have. They don’t say Mario is going to tear up your furniture when you leave him alone at home. Daisy is going to pee on every square foot of your house. Lila will snap at you if you go near her bone. Daryl barks at every passing Amazon truck and sound of the doorbell. So they’re not perfect. Neither are we. Just be cautious and move slowly. Get to know your new pet, particularly if it’s older and has been through some stuff. The younger puppies might be easier to socialize.

Let’s not leave this on a negative note though. Remember, I considered getting a rescue because I had friends that had so many good experiences. My viewpoint is through a different lens now. Diego cuddles with me on the couch while I watch TV. He looks at me like the sun shines out of my face—and everywhere else. I know I am his favorite person in the world right now without a shadow of a doubt. He is smart, and learns commands quickly. He has the softest fur and the biggest smile. He doesn’t damage anything in the house when I leave. He lays quietly near me when I work from home. He’s adorable. He’s adorable. He’s adorable—hence, he gets away with a lot!

Thanks for listening to my piece of unsolicited advice. Until next time!